Griffith subdivision tabled again

Monday

Feb 24, 2014 at 12:01 AMFeb 24, 2014 at 7:57 AM

BONIFAY — Attorney Brandon Young once again came before the Bonifay City Council during their Monday, Feb. 10 meeting, as legal representative of a subdivision for which efforts are being made to develop on Griffith Circle in Bonifay.

BONIFAY — Attorney Brandon Young once again came before the Bonifay City Council during their Monday, Feb. 10 meeting, as legal representative of a subdivision for which efforts are being made to develop on Griffith Circle in Bonifay.

“During the last meeting, you requested all of the appropriate signatures in order to carry this through,” said Young. “I am here with those signatures.”

Council member Richard Woodham said he didn’t agree with the city taking in the subdivision until the road was fixed.

“I’d like to see that road fixed before we take it because then it becomes a liability,” said Woodham.

Young explained that construction trucks employed by the city for road repairs and repaving caused the recent damage to the main road through the subdivision.

“Ironically no one should have been on that property to begin with because it is private property,” said Young.

After lengthy discussion, council members agreed to have a meeting with their contractor and discuss how repairs can be made and that the matter be tabled until the next council meeting.

Tony Syfrett of Southeastern Surveying and Mapping Corporation came before the council during their Nov. 25 meeting with designs for a subdivision on Griffith Circle off State Road 79 in Bonifay, stating he was informed that the subdivision was approved of in 2008.

Grant Writer Bob Jones advised Syfrett that the council needed clarification of what was approved in 2008 before it could approve anything and move on. After much discussion, council members decided to table the issue until it could be reviewed further.

Young explained while the preliminary plot was approved in 2008 and that construction had started and roads had been paved, the company which initiated the project fell apart due to the economy, and the project “fell by the wayside.”

“Everything was done to state standards,” said Young. “The roads were at Department of Transportation standards, there’s a holding pond, the water lines have been pressure tested, and there are no lots less than half an acre, just in case they want septic there.”

In other actions taken, Council approved a measure for Charles Smith to return the deed to an alley way near his house back to the city.

City Attorney Lucas Taylor explained the Bonifay City Council deeded Smith with an alleyway near his property in 1994, but for reasons unknown, Smith was never given the deed.

“Smith then came before the present council requesting a quitclaim deed and the council only approved because they thought they were correcting a past mistake done by the council,” said Taylor. “What the council didn’t know is that Mr. Smith had been in negotiations with another land owner. Smith came after the deal based on what he brought before in the ‘90s and we have a policy not to deed alleyways.”

Taylor explained that the information he brought in was a Department of Transportation map showing the alleyway as 24 feet, which city of Bonifay adjusted from 20 feet to 24 feet on the deed, however it encroached into his neighbor’s property and delayed his neighbor from selling the property.

Taylor said after much research into the city’s alleyway he found that all other alleyways are exactly 20 feet and concluded that the DOT made an error.

“The city can’t do anything except make the correction back to 20 feet,” said Taylor. “This has became a private matter and both parties need to survey their land. In taking back the alleyway deed you are both basically back where you initially began.”

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Bonifay City Council is set for 6 p.m. on Feb. 24.

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